Ignominious

Main Entry: ig·no·min·i·ous

Pronunciation: \ˌig-nə-ˈmi-nē-əs\

Function: adjective

Date: 15th century

1 : marked with or characterized by disgrace or shame : dishonorable

2 : deserving of shame or infamy : despicable

I love it when a definition leads you to another discovery! When Dana posted her story on debacles, the definition had a word that I had never heard of, much less used. What a wonderfully descriptive word!

 

Marked by shame or disgrace: "It was an ignominious end ... as a desperate mutiny by a handful of soldiers blossomed into full-scale revolt" (Angus Deming).

Degrading; debasing: "The young people huddled with their sodden gritty towels and ignominious goosebumps inside the gray-shingled bathhouse" (John Updike).